Blurry Truths
by vamplee94
Summary: MacKayla is finally grown up, and her life is perfect Her parents are awesome and her brother is great. But what happens when everything she's ever know about Dimitri and Rose gets questioned with 8 little words? Sequel to "It's Been A While".
1. Chapter 1

** Hey, this is (obviously) a story for VA. It's a sequel/continuation for my "It's Been A While" story about Rose and Dimka. I suppose that it's not absolutely necessary to read the other one for this one to make sense, but it is preferable that you read the other first, seeing how it did come before this one. Really, if you haven't read the other one, please go read it and review and then come back to read this one. Please! Also, there is some info I added here that I didn't add in "It's Been A While" so it's going to be a slight overload of information, so bear with me people!**

** I hope you guys enjoy, so rate and comment, lovelies!**

** Simply,**

** Sam.**

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It's funny really, how a few words can change the entire course of your life. It's funny how a single look, touch, feeling can control what you think, say, do at that particular moment. My mother would agree with me. She knows what I mean when I say that. When I say how simple words like "I love you" can have so much more emotion behind them when said to a certain person, and how they can make a person react in such harsh words. It's funny how words like "I'm sorry" can have different meanings to them. For example, do you think that a police officer's wife, or a fireman's wife would like to open the door to a stranger in a uniform and hear the words "I'm sorry" coming from their mouths? No, they would break down instantaneously. Kind of how like when my aunt heard those words. Her eyes went wide with shock, her mouth opened into an almost comical o, and she fell straight to the ground. And she screamed. Oh, how she screamed.

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"So when are you due, Liss?" I asked Lissa, who was lying down with her head resting in Christians lap. She had cut her hair to where it rested just above her shoulders. She had it tied messily back and was wearing a simple blue cotton dress, but she still looked as radiant as ever.

"Doctor said in 3 weeks." She answered with a smile on her face. She and Christian had finally decided it was time for them to procreate so they got busy. Christian wanted 1 and Lissa wanted 3, so they settled for 2. Then, a few months after Lissa found out that Christian had succeeded in knocking her up, the doctor told her she was having sextuplets. Lissa, of course, was ecstatic from the moment she found out, but Christian was so shocked, he was like a statue for a couple days. After it really hit him though, he was just as excited as she was. They had everything planned out months ago and it was really a smart plan. The kids would share a nursery and then once they turned 3, the boys would be in one room and the girls would be in another. Once they turned 10, they'd each have their own room, but I've been trying to convince her to let them have their own rooms the moment they started fighting. Which would mean early on, but hey, you gotta make sacrifices for your children, right!

"Do you have that same bastard doctor I had for MacKayla? Because he's probably just saying that, that fat bastard!" We all laugh at that, remembering when I went into labor for MacKayla. I'm really glad that Liss is finally having kids to carry on her last name. Oh yea, didn't I mention that they decided that all the kids will be named Dragomir? It's true. Christian agreed to it because she's the only one in her line. Plus, Lissa promised that one boy and one girl would have the middle name Ozera. I thought it was pretty sweet.

"So where are Maks and MacKayla?" I pointed a few feet away from us to where MacKayla was playing in the grass with her toys then to a tree where Maks was playing with some other kids. "Right there." I answered.

Christian smiled. "They everything they're cut out to be?" Meaning children, I know. I looked up at Dimitri, who I was using as a back support. Christian had directed the question to him, and I was curious to know his answer also.

Dimitri smiled at the kids and then he looked at me. "No. They're better." We all turned to look at the kids and stay silent for a moment. "So much better." I whispered quietly and knew that Dimitri heard me when he squeezed my hand.

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The sextuplets are now 3, MacKayla is almost 4, and Maks is almost 11. The events surrounding the sextuplets births were kind of bitter sweet because Eddie died almost 3 years ago, and it's still hard to come to terms with it, even after all this time. He had become the guardian of another Moroi after Lissa took me as hers, even though we begged him to stay on. He said that it was just time for him to move on. He and his Moroi had been walking home one night when the Strigoi attacked. There were too many for Eddie to take on alone, and they were both killed instantly. The Moroi had had a child with a Dhampir that became Maks' best friend after he attended the academy. They've been attached to the hip since they moment they met. They both always have to protect MacKayla from the bigger boys who she insists on picking fights with, even after we've told her not to. That kid is just so damn stubborn. Dimitri says she gets it from me, but I know for a fact that he's just as stubborn as me, if not more. He just doesn't want to admit it.

Liss and Christian have had their hands full, but with us helping out, they've been able to deal. Adrian comes around as often as he can and the kids just adore him. They call him Uncle Adrian. He got married a couple years ago to a Moroi named Shari, who I didn't like at first, but have slowly come around to once I realized she was completely perfect for Adrian. She keeps him in check. They're expecting their first kid and I've honestly never seen Adrian this excited or happy before. His aunt, on the other hand, isn't too crazy about Shari, since she's a non-royal, but she's learned to put up with her for Adrian's sake, which I think is quite an improvement in her attitude towards others.

As I looked into my children's bedrooms as they sleep, I wonder how it is I got so lucky. It took a while, but I finally have my perfect family. I finally have my perfect man. I close my daughters' door and walk around the quiet, dark house. There are pictures of us all over the place. There are pictures of Eddie with the kids before he died. Lissa and Christian and the sextuplets. Pictures of Tasha, Adrian and Shari. Pictures of our life. Our perfect life. I feel arms wrap around my waist and I relax against the hard, warm body behind me. Dimitri rests his chin on my shoulder and whispers "Come back to bed."

I smile slightly before whispering back, "In a minute."

"Then I'll wait here with you."

After a few moments, I whisper, "They're perfect."

"No one's perfect, Roza."

"Well, our kids are."

"Our kids."

"Huh?"

"You didn't say our daughter or my son. You said our kids."

"Well, they are our kids. Both of ours."

"Thank you." He whispers in my hair before I turn around in his arms; wrap my arms around his neck, and tippy toe, meeting him half way in a kiss. We walk slowly to the bedroom, still locked in that kiss. As I close the door behind me, I whisper, "Two is enough, so you better be careful." As the door shuts, he chuckles quietly.

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I ran as fast and as hard as I could through the darkness that was slowly engulfing everything in it's path. If I was engulfed by that upcoming darkness, I would be dead. So, so dead. I stumbled, which slowed me down, and allowed the darkness to creep closer. "Shit." I whisper when I hear the clawing getting closer. As I get closer to the intersection where the light was abundant, I make the biggest mistake. I turn to glance back. What I saw made my heart beat fast and my breathe come shorter. There were red eyes, all looking at me hungrily. Strigoi prefer Moroi blood, they crave it, because it makes them stronger, faster. Better. But of course, if they can't get Moroi blood, Dhampir blood will do just fine. And I was a Dhampir. I tripped and landed on my stomach, I pushed myself up with my hands, and almost got away but then I felt hands lock on my ankle and pull me down. Then, slowly, oh, so slowly, the darkness engulfed me.

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"Wake up!" I felt my desk vibrate from the force of the blow Guardian Alto gave it. I was a little startled, but didn't show it. Slowly, I pick my face off the desk and stretch lazily, like a cat. I blink slowly and look up at Stan with a small smile on my face. "Mmm….Yes? How may I help you?" I ask, slightly sarcastically.

"Were you sleeping?" He asks, angrily.

"No, of course not. I was simply resting my eyes."

"Why were you resting your eyes?"

"Because your class made them tired." Everyone laughs, even the guardians in the back of the class. I can see Stan start to turn red with anger and mentally pat myself on the back. Stan was old and over the years he'd gotten his temper under control, but I sure knew how to push his buttons.

"Just like your mother."

"Thank you." He rolls his eyes. He has no idea how much of a compliment that is to me.

"The Headmistress needs you."

I stand slowly and walk to the door, where the guardian is waiting to escort me to the headmistress.

"Well, what did I do this time?" I ask, throwing myself on to the chair in Headmistress Ivoshkovs office. To anyone looking on, I'd seem very irresponsible and not anywhere near ready to be a guardian, despite being in the last year, but in the 10 seconds in the office, I already noted where everything was, the two guardians inside, and the boy sitting on the chair beside mine.

"You're not in trouble." Ivoshkov answers.

"Then what is it?"

"I need you to escort this young man, show him around. He has the same schedule as you, so I thought it'd be fitting."

I smile at her. "Sure, why not? It's a good excuse to get out of Alto's class. Thanks for that, by the way."

She smiles at me, warning me with her eyes to show some respect towards my teachers. "This is Blake Adair. Blake, this is MacKayla, she'll be showing you around. She is one of our best students, so don't be fooled by her manner. Take him to the dorms after school, and since the Queens is here, why don't you take him to meet her? And to Jane, she does enjoy meeting new Dhampirs, as you know." She's right. Jane, her daughter, loves meeting new Dhampirs, and especially ones with reputations like Blake. Blake Adair, 17 years old, and already killed 8 Strigoi, and he beat up his own father, who was a Dhampir, because he was beating up on Blake's' mom. He's English (as in, from England) and he's tall, like 6' something tall, blond hair, green eyes. He's lean and has a type of… emotionless mask on his face. Not a real mask, but more like something to protect himself with. Maybe it's because his mother was killed last year. By his father.

"This is the lunch room," I say, pointing to the doors, then moving on. We're both quiet, and he hasn't said a single thing to me, at all, and it's just so weird. I hear slight commotion and when we turn the corner, I see why. Jimmy and Paul are beating up on some poor kid. I sigh and turn to Blake. "Stay put, no matter what happens, m'kay?" Then I hand my backpack to him and walk calmly to where the boys were. They turn to look at me and Jimmy nudges Paul.

"Howdy there, darlin'. Looking for a little fun?" Jimmy asks sarcastically. I simply smile at him and nod my head towards the kid on the floor that they were beating up on a while ago.

"What'd he do to you?" I have a very faint Russian accent, courtesy of my father. I can speak the language, but not much of it. I only know the basics, mainly because I wasn't patient enough to learn the language like my brother.

"Well, punk thought it'd be funny to make us look like fools in front of the Dragomir girls. So we though we'd teach him a little lesson." Paul answers with a sneer. They're both Moroi, and so's the boy that's passed out on the floor Jimmy's from the Dashkov family, and Paul is sadly part of the Ozera's, which means he's related to Uncle Christian, which just plain sucks if you ask me. "Jimmy, poor kid doesn't need to do that, you guys look stupid all on your own."

"You're really taunting us, Dhampir. If I were you, I'd watch what comes out of my mouth next."

"Whatever, you couldn't take me even if you tried, idiots. Plus, the Dragomir girls aren't anywhere near interested in you. Their brothers might be interested in kicking your asses, though." After a little more taunting, I stepped right up to Jimmy and whispered, "Watch what you say next, bastard child." Jimmy's dad left his mother right after he was born. No one knows who he is, so calling Jimmy a bastard is a sore point with him. I saw the anger flash in his eyes right before he put his hand around my throat and pushed me against the wall.

"Shut. The hell. Up. Dhampir." He whispered, menacingly. I heard Paul grunt right before Jimmy's hand was removed, rather roughly, from my throat. I walked to the kid on the floor and, after a while, I woke him up and told him to go to the nurse.

"What are you two doing here?" I ask, hand on hip, the two men standing in front of me.

"Saving your ass."

"I had it handled."

"Ah, so you were using Mom's technique. Get the opponent pissed to the point where they see red."

"Pretty much." I say with a curt nod of my head. Maksim, Alexei, and I laughed. "What are you doing here?"

"Came for a visit, little sister. Haven't seen you in a while." Alexei said, calling me his nickname for me. He and my brother are 24, 7 years older than me, and both already guardians. They both have 4 molninja marks and both graduated top of their class. They were almost the same, in everything. Almost. Alexei's family was killed when he was 11, and ever since Maks and he met, which was a little while after that, Alexei's been practically family to us. Especially since his fathers' guardian was Eddie Castile, my mom's friend. One of my mom's oldest friends.

I walked over to Blake and took possession of my backpack. I noticed he'd gotten a lot closer to where Paul and Jimmy had been. Now that's kind of cute. He'd been about to jump into the fight on his first day of school. "Who's this?" Alexei asked, looking questioningly at Blake.

"Oh, this is a transfer student. This is my brother, Maksim, and his friend, my other brother for all intents and purposes, Alexei. You guys, this is a new transfer student, Blake Adair."

"Wait." He started. He pointed to Alexei. "Was your fathers' guardian Eddie Castile?"

"Yes." Alexei beamed with pride, because everyone knows that once Eddie became his fathers' guardian, he taught him so many things about being a guardian. And everyone knows how great Eddie Castile was.

"He was a great guardian." See? Told you. "I've heard that you're just as good." And Blake's right, Alexei really is one of the best new guardians out there. He'll be a legend soon enough if he keeps it up.

"Thank you." Because when someone compliments you and compares you to a great guardian, you don't argue, unless you know it's not true.

Then he turned to Maks and me and said, "So that must mean you two are Belikovs." Maks and I beamed proudly at him. We've become so used to people being shocked when they learn who we are, but we're both always proud. I mean, our parents are Dimitri Belikov and Rose Hathaway Belikov. Both are badass guardians and one is shadow kissed with the Queen, Lissa Dragomir. Our grandfather is Abe Mazur, still notorious despite his age, and our grandmother is Janine Hathaway, a kick ass guardian that is still revered as great. We are the miracle children of two Dhampirs who loved each other, even though one temporarily turned Strigoi. And even though our legacy precedes us, that doesn't mean we live in the shadow of our family. Both my brother and I are about as kick ass as it gets. He was tied with Alexei for highest in their class. He will be one of the guardians for the Dragomir girls when they graduate and he is one scary mo fo, kind of like our father. I haven't even graduated yet, and I've already got 2 molninja marks, I'm going to be one of the guardians for the Dragomir boys, and I am rather infamous for not listening to teachers and having a fairly bad temper. It's not as bad as my mom's, but worst than my dad's. We got way beyond the expectations people have of us because of our family, and people are always surprised when they figure this out. We are way beyond proud to be our parents' children. I mean, our parent's are our parents, no matter how notorious or infamous they both are. And trust me, there are some people that still don't like or trust them, even though Lissa is my mom's best friend.

I see a look of pure awe on Blake's face as it really hits him and he recalls everything he's ever learned about our parents. He opens his mouth and the words that come out send both my brother and I into such a whirl, it makes us both dizzy, and we haven't even moved from the spots where our feet are firmly planted.

"Dimitri Belikov is the father of my cousin."

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** How did you like? It's fairly long, and no, not all the chapters will be like this. This was just a type of introduction, to get the plot moving faster. Anyways, rate, review, comment, all that jazz. Please, please, please, answer these questions to help with the next chapter:**

** What did you like most? Least? What would you have changed if you could have changed anything? What would you have kept the same? What, if anything, confused you? What type of emotions did you feel while reading this?**

** Thanks again, and please keep in mind that I am still writing another story, "Round and Round" based off the Gallagher Girls series, so that means that I won't be posting up the chapters as quickly as I posted the chapters for "It's Been A While." **

** By the way, I'm trusting that you read "It's Been A While" before this, so tell me, what did you like best from that story? (And yes, this is a way to test you!)**

** Thanks again! And also, thanks for putting up with my craziness!**

** Simply,**

** Sam.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hola, hola, how have all you been? Good? I'm glad.

** Now, here is the next chapter, review, comment, all that jazz. Please and thank you!**

** Enjoy!**

** Simply,**

** Sam.**

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"Dimitri Belikov is the father of my cousin."

Those 8 little words are all it took for my life to go to hell. That's all it took. I always thought my life would go to hell when I go out in the real world and become a guardian, but no. The truth is, in the middle of a hallway at St. Vladimir's Academy, my life got on an express train heading straight for hell because of what Blake said.

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I didn't know at that time the road my life would be going down, but it wasn't so great. The events immediately following those words are events I want to completely forget about, but also events I want to forever keep in my mind. They are events that make me cringe to think about them, yet bring me to life when I am at my lowest. They are the events that made me become who I currently am, the child of my mother and father, despite their faults. A sister. A niece. A cousin. A wife. A mother. A guardian.

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I tripped and landed on my stomach, I pushed myself up with my hands, and almost got away but then I felt hands lock on my ankle and pull me down. Then, slowly, oh, so slowly, the darkness engulfed me. I opened my eyes, and instead of seeing the choking darkness from moments before, what I saw made those glimpses I caught while running seem like a walk in a brightly lit park. There were Strigoi, all around me, slowly creeping closer and closer to me, casting quick glances to those beside them, as if they wanted to be the first one upon me. Their eyes blazed, and they were horrible, like the worst nightmare a kid can have. My already pounding heart picked up it's pace, as if making up for the fact that I'm no longer running, but still trying to make an escape. My eyes can't settle on one place, trying to decide which one is the most dangerous, but I can't seem to think, I can't seem to move. It's like those people that wake up in the middle of surgery, but can't notify the doctor that they can feel every single thing. I want to close my eyes, but it'll be a sign of defeat, yet keeping my eyes open would be like watching my own death. I close my eyes for two seconds and then slowly reopen them…

I slam my hand onto the alarm clock that is beeping as if it's on crack. Even though I usually hate it, I'm glad today, because it pulled me out of my worst nightmare so far. I've been having the same nightmare every time I close my eyes, it seems, but the farthest it ever goes is me being pulled into the darkness. Maybe what Blake said really has gotten to me. It's been one week now and I can barely bring myself to look at Blake, let alone actually speak with him. Since we have all our classes together, it's kind of tough to avoid him, but I can handle it. After all, I am MacKayla Belikov, sister of Maksim Belikov, daughter of Rosemarie Hathaway Belikov and Dimitri Belikov… Who apparently has another child running around out there.

No! What am I thinking? If Dad had another child we would've know about it, or him or her. Mom and Dad would've told us. They would have told us. Right?

What am I saying? Of course they would have told us, we're they children for God sakes, they've told us everything about themselves! I think…

God! That Blake kid's got me doubting my entire life with just 8 stupid words. I hate him and his perfect hotness… And his abs… And his eyes and hair… And his fighting skills… And his abs… Okay! I've got to stop this. Some kid with no account parents is not going to make me doubt my entire life, I won't let him. Today, I'll confront him and ask him what his deal is. I mean, all he said was that one sentence, and when we asked him what he meant, he wouldn't tell us, he just stood there with his mouth shut, ignoring us, as if he were freaking Helen Keller or something. Finally, we just gave up, and Blake basically followed me around the rest of the day. I took him straight to his room and never took him to meet Lissa or Headmistress Ivoshkovs daughter. I just didn't have the energy to.

I'm lost in thought as I walk to my first class and that's why I don't notice the person following me until their hand lands on my shoulder. I spin around, eyes wide, and am about to do some serious damage before I notice it's Maks. "What do you want?" I sound rude, but I don't care. I'm just mad because I didn't notice him.

"Glad to see you too, sister dear." He says sarcastically. He notices my expression and quickly rushes to the point because while I may not be as scary as mom, I'm still pretty scary in my own way. "Okay, okay. I just wanted to tell you that this weekend I'll be going on a little trip. I'll come back as soon as I can, but I just wanted to let you know, in case anyone asks."

"Where? The trip, I mean?"

"Um… Alexei and I are going to England for a while.."

"Really? Why?"

"Er… No particular reason." Maks was never the best liar. I don't know who he gets it from, because our family is full of major liars, so I secretly think he was probably switched at the hospital. I'm just saying.

"Liar. You're just suddenly going to England a week after Blake Adair told you about his cousin? I don't think so. If you're going, so am I."

"No! Look, Mac, I've spoken to Blake, and I just want to meet his cousin, see if he's right in any way. It's nothing major, just a quick check up. Nothing interesting."

"I'm going." I say stubbornly.

"No, Mac, and that's the end of it." His Russian accent, also faint, but a little stronger than mine, becomes more pronounced as his voice becomes stern. His brown eyes have a heard look, and if I were anyone else, that look alone would make me quickly give up, but, luckily, I'm my parent's child. So of course I don't let it go.

"If you don't take me, I'm telling Mom." And okay, I'll admit, I sound bratty, but growing up that line always worked, and to this day it still does.

"No! You can't do that, Mac! It'll screw up my whole plan!"

"Then take me with you."

"Fine." He says grudgingly, with a sigh. See? Told ya.

"You made the right choice, Maks, you made the right choice. Now tell me everything Blake's told you."

And so he does. He tells me about Blake's' cousin, Emily, who never knew her father because he left her mother pregnant. Granted, the father never knew that Emily's mother was pregnant, but apparently, Emily still hates him for leaving. She hates that her father didn't love her mother enough to stay with her. She looked at her mother's old diaries (because apparently her mother was THAT kind of girl) and by reading them she figured out Dimitri was her father. Or at least, that's what she was thinking. The diary entries stop about two months before she was conceived (which is a gross thought, I'm just saying) and she doesn't have enough guts to go up to her mother and ask her herself. So now, we're going to go ask her mother. Yea, that's what the trip is all about, finding out who Emily's father really is.

"So how are we going to do this? I mean, we have no cash on us, we don't own our own plane. How are we going to go to England?" I ask the question that's been bugging me since Maks started his story. "I mean, I'd say we could ask Uncle Adrian, after listening to all those stories about when he was younger, but I'm pretty sure he'd tell Mom about it."

"Yea, that's what I was thinking too. So I asked my Moroi for some time off, and I told him that I'm going to England, and he said that since he's going at the same time I am, he'd be happy to take me with him."

"Really? That's so cool! You took him up on the offer, right?"

"Well, I told him I had to think about it for a bit, but yea, I think I'll take him up on the offer."

"Good."

"Hey, Adair. Can I speak to you for a moment?" Blake looks up, a suspicious look on his face, as if he's on to me, which is ridiculous. He can't know what I'm thinking. A familiar glint flashes in his eyes, but is quickly gone. I've seen that before, I just can't remember where.

"Can it wait until later? I'm eating breakfast, the most important meal of the day, you know." We're in the dining area, and while Blake is sitting by himself, there are still people around him, which means that, yes, those in hearing distance look up to see what's going on. They're probably hoping for a fight, which is usually the result of things that I'm involved in.

"No, actually, it can't. It's important and I need to talk to you right. Now." I say through clenched teeth. His calmness was getting on my nerves.

"And so is breakfast, or haven't you heard?" He widened his eyes in faux innocence, and that just about sent me through the roof. How dare he? How dare he treat me as if I'm nothing, and just dismiss me and be completely sarcastic to me, when I'm just asking him for a simple favor? He's like… Oh, well he's kind of like me… Actually, I do that all the time.. That's not the point. The point is this kid really knows how to play around.

"Yea, I have actually. Have you ever heard about what exactly I am capable of doing to your face? No? Well, you don't want to, trust me, so get the hell up and come with me." I say as calmly as I can, which is pretty calm, if I do say so myself.

I can feel the other students turn towards Blake, gauging his reaction. He stares at me for several moments before sighing. "I suppose I have no choice."

"No, you don't." I walk out of the dining hall, knowing he's following me the whole way. "Okay," I say, spinning around so I can look at him, "here's the thing: I'm going with my brother to check out your cousin, but he tells me you're going also."

"Yeah, I am."

"No, you're not. Do you know how suspicious it'll look if you just happen to disappear the same time we do?"

"Wouldn't it look just as bad if you leave by yourselves?"  
"No, because we've done this before. We always just take off for a weekend and don't come back days, sometimes even weeks, later. But there has never been a new student who takes off the same time we do. You understand?"

"Well, I'm the new student that has a troubled past, which would mean it would be completely understandable for me to want to just run off to see my cousin, who just happens to be pregnant. No one would reprimand me for that, mainly because they wouldn't want me to have a breakdown of sorts. Do you understand?"

"Damn, you're good." And that's how it was decided that Blake Adair would accompany us on our trip to England.

Alexei would stay behind, to make up an excuse if someone found out, and also, to do some research if we needed him to. The rest of the week went on like normal. Plans were made, only I didn't speak with Blake Adair, Maks did.

"How's school been?" Mom asks from across the table. I'm at the usual Friday night dinner with Mom and Dad, with our two guests of honor, Maks and Alexei.

"Oh, like you don't know." Mom knows everything, not because she checks up on me or anything, but because if something was wrong, Cheri would've told her, since she is the Headmistress. "Where is everyone?" Usually, Uncle Christian, Aunt Lissa, the Dragomir sextuplets, Uncle Adrian, Aunt Cheri, and their daughter, Jane. Only they weren't here.

"Oh, they're going to bring a guest, so they said they'd be a little late." Mom answered. They were always late because of some guest, so this wasn't anything new, but it was a type of ritual to ask that question.

"And they're here." Dad said, standing from his seat next to Mom when the doorbell goes off. I don't see why they bother ringing the bell all the time. They end up opening the door before Dad gets to it, anyway. From the living room, I can hear their chatter, and it's just as odd as ever.

"Uncle Dimitri, please tell Olivia that when you punch, you don't punch with your thumb on the outside of your fist!"

"Uncle Dimitri, please tell Jonathon to find something better to do with his life besides harassing me!" Olivia and Jonathon were the youngest of the sextuplets and they were always fighting with each other about the most mundane things. But I know for a fact, if either of them had to choose between any of their siblings, they'd choose each other. They just depend on each other that much.

The chatter continues as they walk into the living room, and quickly, Maks, Alexei, Mom and I join in, but once Cheri introduces her guest, Maks, Alexei and I stare, completely dumbfounded. This would be a long night.

Our guest of honor was Blake Adair.

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** What did you like most? Least? What confused you? What would you change if you could? Do you like Blake Adair? Maksim Belikov? Alexei? Our narrator, MacKayla Belikov? Does calling her Mac and Maksim, Maks, confuse you? Did that question just confuse you? Would you like me to stop doing this?  
Anyway, hope you enjoyed, please answer those questions. Oh, and would you like to see the awkward dinner, or would you like me to skip that?**

** Thanks again for all the reviews!**

** Simply,**

** Sam.**


	3. Chapter 3

I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope all of you keep reading! I'm having fun writing this story so far, and I've only gotten down a couple of chapters, so that's a good sign. Now, just so you all know, in case any of you feel the same way, even I am unsure of what to make of Blake Adair, and that's because he is my own character, of my own imagination! (which is a scary place to be, I'll admit that.) Now, on with the story!

** Enjoy!**

** Simply,**

** Sam.**

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Blake Adair.

If you want to blame anyone, he is the person to blame. He is the person that completely ruined everything. He took me higher than I'd ever been before, but then, at the most unexpected moment, he let me drop from that height, and when I landed, as you can guess, I was a mess. It took me years to put myself back together again, but there was always that little part of me that stayed ruined, that stayed ugly and dark and terrible. So if you want to blame someone, don't blame my dad, my mom, or even Blake's cousin, Susan. Blame him, for in this whole mess, he was the culprit. He was always the culprit; it just took me some time to realize that.

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My eyes can't settle on one place, trying to decide which one is the most dangerous, but I can't seem to think, I can't seem to move. It's like those people that wake up in the middle of surgery, but can't notify the doctor that they can feel every single thing. I want to close my eyes, but it'll be a sign of defeat, yet keeping my eyes open would be like watching my own death. I close my eyes for two seconds and then slowly reopen them. That's when the pain should've started, but it never came. I never felt it. All I saw was a blinding light, as if an angel had come to save me. But that's not right, angels don't exist. Angel's can't exist, because, even though I so obviously readily believe in evil, I just can't bring myself to believe in the good side of things. I can't make my mind think that way. Maybe it's because of what happened that summer, or maybe I just always thought that way. All I know is that this white light is here to help me, may it be good or bad, I really don't care either way.

"Mac, wake up." I felt a hand softly shaking my shoulder, pulling me from the dream. I open my eyes slowly, and see Maks sort of looming in front of me, although it takes me a couple seconds to realize it's him because the light behind him is kind of blinding me. I blink. "Hey, it's time to get up, come on. We're here." He walks away, and I rub my eyes, trying to wipe away the drowsiness. I yawn, stretching, and then, finally, stand up.

As we're walking through the airport, I look around me, noticing everything, like I was taught to. Maks was walking in front of me, with his Moroi, and Blake behind me. I saw him look at everything with a longing look on his face, as if he missed this place, which he probably did. From what I heard, he hadn't been back here in nearly a year. By here, I don't mean the town that Blake's cousin lives in, oh no. I mean the nearest town big enough to have an airport. So this place is a one-week drive from the town we're supposed to be in. Yea, that's right. One freaking whole week! I'm going to have to be in a small, enclosed space with Blake Adair. This really couldn't get any worse.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Tarus. We really appreciate it you helping us out." I say, shaking his hand. We get into our car (we being Maks, Blake, and I) and we head to a hotel, seeing as how it's too late for us to go anywhere, and we're all tired.

As we enter the hotel room, I throw my bags on the floor, and drop onto the nearest bed. "Mac, you okay?" Maks asks me as he neatly places his bags, and mine, against the wall. I mumble something incoherent, to which Maks only laughs at before going to take a shower. I sit up when I hear the water start running and look over to Blake, who is quietly flipping through the channels on the TV.

"So, she's pregnant?"

"Who is she? And why is she pregnant?" He calmly ask.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. I unclench my teeth and reply just as calmly, "Your cousin. And probably because she wasn't smart enough to be careful."

He looks over to me, and I can see something spark in his eyes, and that's when I realize why that look had seemed so familiar in the lunchroom at school. It's because my father gets the exact same look in his eyes when I have amused him in some way. Seeing the look, thinking about my dad, makes me calm down, and I'm no longer as annoyed with him. "Oh, that's right. Yes, she is pregnant. Eight months along, I believe. She's due in a few weeks, if I'm not mistaken."

I nod. "Well, hopefully we'll be gone by the time she has the kid."

"Not very into children?" He turns towards me, setting aside the remote, and cocking his head to the side, as if he finds me interesting in some way, which I highly doubt, because he's been pretty much nothing but annoying since almost the moment I met him. Almost.

"Well, children are okay, once they've passed they're sticky hand stage. After childbirth, they're okay. I don't like teenagers, but I like them before and after they hit puberty. I hate them during the puberty stage. I don't really like them before they're one year old, because they can't communicate in any way other than crying, and crying children give me headaches."

"Hm…. So you really don't like children, huh? That's odd, I thought all females adored children."

"Not all, but most, I'm sure." I heard the water turn off, and jumped off the bed. "You need to shower?"

"Naw, I'll go after you."

I shrug. "Okay." Maks walks out of the bathroom as I'm gathering up my stuff, and thirty seconds later, I'm standing under hot, running water, and it feels great after being cramped up on the seat of the plane and then the car.

I fall asleep quickly, and don't dream at all, which is great, because usually my dreams consist of Strigoi, and those dreams, especially because they feel so real, frighten me to no end.

"You're going the wrong way, Maks!"

"No I'm not! You've never been here, anyway, so please, just be quiet, I need to concentrate on where I'm going."

"Adair! Is he going the right way or not?"

Silence for a few moments. "Actually, yes, he is going the wrong way," he finally admits to our waiting ears.

"Aha! I freaking told you! How long has he been going the wrong way, Adair?"

"For about fifty miles now."

"WHAT?" Maks and I both scream in unison as Maks pulls the car over to the side of the road. Blake simply stares at us as we throw question after question to him "When were you going to tell us? Why'd you take so long? Were you never going to tell us? Did you think it would be funny? Would you never have told us if Mac hadn't asked? Would you never have told us if I hadn't asked?"

"If you two will let me explain." We both instantaneously shut our mouths. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to realize it, Maksim. In the last fifty miles, we've passed 10 signs telling us that we're heading towards the wrong town. Just wanted to see if and when you'd notice."

I want to tell him something, but I can't, because I've done the exact same thing to Maks, and my parents, before, so I just keep my glob shut. I can tell Maks wants to say something, but he's done the same thing to Uncle Adrian too, so the car is completely silent as Maks turns the car around, speeding slightly, trying to make up for the lost time.

"It's no big deal, MacKayla, why are you so angry?" Blake asks, sounding as if he's honestly curious, but who knows with him, he's so hard to read.

"What do you mean, no big deal? What if she goes into labor while we're there? That would be horrible!"

Blake looks at me as if I'm crazy, and Maks snorts and says, "MacKayla is grossed out by childbirth."

"Not grossed out, just…" I try to find a word that will make it sound not so ridiculous, but apparently, I suck at defending myself, because I can't come up with anything. "Okay, so I'm grossed out by childbirth, but so what? It's totally normal, I'm sure."

"I don't think it is. I've met a lot of people, trust me, and not one of them has a fear of childbirth." Blake says, that same amused spark in his eyes.

"I'm not afraid of it! I'm disgusted by it!" I argued, slamming my fists on the seat. Maks and Blake continue to tease me, and by the time we know it, it's dark, and we have to stop at a hotel.

"Okay," Maks says the next morning as we're getting into the car. We're (practically) in the middle of nowhere, and there's hardly any sun, it's so cloudy and dark and gray. He's pointing to a map, marking the route with Blake's help, while I'm standing there being the "look out", whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. "We should reach here by this afternoon, tonight at the latest, and if we keep with the time, we'll be at your cousins by the end of the week."

"Sounds good." We finish putting everything in the car, but before we take off, I stop cold in my tracks. "What's wrong, MacKayla?" Blake asks me, staring at me cautiously.

I continue staring at the tree, on the other side of the street. "I just saw…"

"What? You just saw what?" Blake asks, looking as if he wants to grab my shoulders and shake me.

Maks comes around the car, looking slightly worried. "Mac, it's okay. It's not real. Everything's okay, you're here, not there, I promise. Everything is okay, Mac."

"What are you talking about, Maksim?" Blake continues to stare at me as Maks explains, but I ignore them both and start to walk slowly towards the tree. I'm there by the time they realize that I'm no longer with them, but before they can reach me, I jump to the other side of the tree, and a scream seems to shake the whole tree.

"RUN!" I yell to the girl that screamed, who's currently sitting on the ground. Before the word is even completely out of my mouth, she jumps up and runs towards Maks and Blake. I turn towards the man that was looming over him, and, very briefly, I'm transported back to that night, but quickly shake myself out of it as the Strigoi lunges towards me. I jump out of the way, just barely though. He jumps at me again, but this time, since he's so much taller than me, I squat under his arms and tackle him to the ground. We land with a thud and his body does nothing to cushion the blow, since he's not soft and squidgy, like me. He tries to scratch my face, but I move up just in time and straddle him. He grabs onto my arm and digs his nails into my skin, drawing blood. It distracts him, and that's when I take out the stake, and stab him, pushing up, towards his heart.

"Mac!" Maks comes running up to me, lifting me up. "Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?"

"I'm fine, Maks, really." I answer calmly.

"Quite lying!" He does this, all the time. Overreacts. I kind of hate that about him, but at the same time, it's kind of endearing.

"I'm not lying, what's wrong with you? I'm fine, just a little scratch!"

We continue to argue, but when a voice speaks up, we both instantaneously shut up. "What the hell?" We both turn to look at the girl that is standing slightly in front of Blake and stare at her for a few minutes. She's pretty, blonde, tall, blue eyes. But she looks snobby. "You weren't supposed to kill him! Are you mentally deranged, or something? I was speaking with him! You were just supposed to hold him down or something!"

"What." Maks says.

"The." Blake looks at her as if she's completely crazy.

''Hell." I breathe softly.

She's a freaking alchemist. Not just any alchemist. Sydney's daughter.

* * *

**Hey, all, hope you enjoyed, and sorry for the long wait. Also, the chapters are going to be taking longer what with school starting, and me having to type, and send to my (totally awesome) Beta. :)**

**I'll post as soon as I can!**

**Simply,**

**Sam.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, I know, I know. You guys hate me and wish I would die. But if that were to happen, who would finish writing this story? Exactly! No one, and you'd be left wondering, "What would've happened if we hadn't murdered that very nice lady? Hm...?" So, don't kill me, please. I'm so sorry it's taken so long, but my excuse is the oldest in the book: School. It is true though. I've actually had this written out for a while now, but in long-hand, and I pretty much just finished typing it up not too long ago. I'm sorry it's taken so long. It's pretty long, just for you guys. Remember, it's going to be taking a while, but hopefully not this long, from now on. Enjoy. I love you all!**

***Fake Russian accent* Maybe you should ask yourself this: What did I do to get stabbed? Hm...?**

***Sob* OH MY GOD! You're right! I'm so sorry I made you stab me!**

**Go watch Christopher Titus! I command it!**

**Enjoy!**

**Simply,**

**Sam.**

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**

Despite her bad attitude, Lane was there to help us until the very bitter end. She never once complained when we called her in the middle of the night, even though she did give us attitude. That was just her. Giving attitude was what she did best, it sometimes seemed. So, because she helped us and always did her best when it came to doing things for us, I loved her. She was wonderful. But after all of that, there was a time when I completely hated her. When I couldn't even stand to hear her name. I hated her because she was the one that brought me closer and closer to Blake. And after we came back to the States, I hated her and I hated him. I thought they could both rot in hell for all I cared. But then something happened, but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Way, way ahead of myself.

Maybe it's because of what happened that summer, or maybe I just always thought that way. All I know is that this white light is here to help me, may it be good or bad, I really don't care either way. As all the Strigoi fall to the ground in defeat, the white light stops being so blinding, slowly dimming, until I can start to make out features of the person. Male. Tall. Shockingly blond hair. Eyes. Beautiful eyes, the most beautiful I've ever seen. And they have a familiar spark in them. Wait, you know what, this guys looks just like-

"Mac, wake the hell up!" I bolt upright at the sound of Maks voice shouting right into my ear, and look around me, wide eyed. "Hurry up, we have to go meet Lane." I look to my left and see Maks lifting luggage, walking out the door.

"You do remember what happened yesterday, don't you, MacKayla?" Blake's voice asks me and that's when I do remember. Yesterday is when we met Lane, Sydney's daughter. We got to talking, but she had to be somewhere, so we drove over to the next town, and today we're going to meet her at the local coffee shop.

"Yea, I remember." I say as I roll out of bed, grab my bag, and walk into the bathroom. It takes me twenty minutes to get ready, including the shower, getting dressed, fixing my hair, and putting on makeup. Let me just say, that's an all time record for me. Although, it wasn't much makeup, just mascara, lotion, a little bit of eye shadow, and some lip-gloss. Like my mom says, what's the point in putting on make up if it's just going to get washed away by sweat? Exactly.

"Yea, I can do that, so don't worry about it. It'll all be arranged by the time you get there. Have a safe trip, here's my number, and just call whenever you need something." We stand, shake hands, and leave. We just finished our meeting with Lane and it's time to start going to the next town. She promised to arrange a room in a really nice hotel in the next town, instead of the usual cheap places we've been staying, and we won't have to pay for it or anything, which I think is really nice her. She didn't have to, but she kind of insisted on it once she heard why exactly we were here. Also, it was her way of thanking us for helping out with the Strigoi incident. It took a while to get it out of her, but she finally admitted that she was struggling with the Strigoi, so it was a good thing I cut in when I did.

I'm looking at her card as we're driving along when Maks says, "She was really nice, don't you think?" And while his question is completely normal, even his posture as he's driving is totally relaxed, his voice has a certain edge to it. A slightly familiar edge. One that his voice only gets every once in a while, when he's talking about a certain something.

I turn to Blake, who's looking back at me from the passenger seat as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking. I give him a little devious smile, and he gives me a wink, which momentarily sends my heart all a flutter, but I ignore it and say, in a teasing voice, "Does Maksim maybe have a little crush on Ms. Lane?"

I see his eyes briefly widen in the rearview mirror, but then they take on a defensive look. "Oh, just be quiet, Mac, you don't know anything!"

Again, I throw a quick look at Blake, and then say, "Well do you or don't you? You never really said yay or nay."

"Of course I don't like her! What's wrong with you! Why would you even suggest that I think she is the most beautiful girl in the world?"

A brief silence. "I never suggested that, Maks, you just did."

"Oh, just shut up!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." Blake says softly, and I just can't help but laugh. Maks clenches the steering wheel and instead of saying anything more, just turns the radios volume up higher, eliminating the chance of anymore teasing. Blake looks back at me, and once again winks, but this time, has a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. I smile back at him, and when he shifts his eyes over to Maks, and then back to me, I can't help but just laugh quietly one more time.

"So, where are you off to, brother dear?" I ask Maks as he walks out of the bathroom, all dressed up and with his hair smooted out. We arrived here last night, and, true to her word, Lane arranged a room for us in one of the high-end hotels here. We were supposed to take off this morning, but Maks insisted on staying one more night, and now I know the reason. And that reason has a name. And that name rhymes with pain. That's right. Lane.

"No where in particular." Was his very original answer.

I smil and tuck my legs under me. I'm sitting on the sofa in the common room and I'm watching my favorite movie of all time, Batman Begins with Christian Bale. "Really? Because you look mighty spiffy to be going nowhere in particular." He gives me a look before continuing his grooming process. "So, you going out with Lane?"

"I don't see why that concerns you." He looks at me.

"I don't see why it concerns me either, but I'm asking anyway."  
"Mac, just watch your movie." I stick my tongue out at him before he turns away.

"What's going on in here?" Blake asks as he walks out of his room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Nothing." Maks answers just as I say, "Maks is going out with Lane."

"No, I'm not!" He exclaims as Blake and I start to laugh. "Whatever." He mumbles, turning away from us. Blake plops down next to me on the sofa, and we all laps into a comfortable silence. Almost. The TV is still blaring noises out to us of Batman and Scarecrow being all creepy and what not. "Well, I'm off now. Behave you two." Maks says as he walks to the door.

"And don't wait up?" I ask teasingly. Instead of answering he simply smiles and continues to walk out the door, softly clicking it shut. "I guess that's an affirmative, Batman." Blake says softly with his eyebrows raised. That throws me into a fit of giggles and he laughs along with me.

"Put on Dark Knight!" I yell to Blake from my room. I'm changing into shorts and a shirt and we're fighting over what to watch next.

"We just watched Batman Begins! I appreciate any Batman movie as much as the next person, but I want to watch something else, if you don't mind."

"I do mind, but whatever." I answer as I walk out of my room. "Seriously? Almost Famous? You have a thing for Kate Hudson or something?"

"Actually, yes, I do." He answers with a smile on his face as he sits down on the sofa.

"Fine, but only because you freely admitted you had a thing for her." I say as I throw myself next to him.

"Ever seen this movie?"

"WAY too many times."

And we watch the movie. Or, kind of watch the movie, actually. We mostly talk. For example, since the age of 10, he's moved to eight different schools. EIGHT! That's crazy! And, he has an older sister, whom he completely adores. We talked about everything, except for one thing, actually. His mom and dad. I know that his mom was human and his dad a Moroi, and I know that his father killed his mother, but beyond that, I don't know too much about his family. Like, I have no clue who his father is, because he and his sister have their mother's maiden name. I want to know, but I don't want to push, so I leave it along, which is a good thing, I guess.

"Then she picked it up by its hind legs and threw it in the pool. The poor thing didn't have a chance." I laugh so hard, my stomach starts to ache. He's telling a story about when his sister was younger and it involves a little cat. It's pretty funny.

"Your sister sounds cool. I should meet her. We'd cause havoc everywhere we went."

"I completely agree with you. Actually, there's a picture of her in my wallet, if you want to see her."

"Really? Yea! I'll go get it!" I hop off the sofa and jog to his room.

"On the little table beside the bed."

His bed is neat, much like mine was when we first got here. His luggage is beside the wall and the only thing out is his wallet, right where he said it was. I grab it and open it, and my eyes go wide. His sister is beautiful. She has blonde hair, like his, but instead of green eyes, she has blue eyes. She looks like one of those Greek goddesses, like Aphrodite, maybe. Beautiful. There's something familiar about her, though. Something very familiar. I can sense it about to click, but then I see another photo that throws that one out of my mind and sends me into a fit of giggles. It's one of Blake, a few years younger, dressed up like a girl, standing next to his sister, who is dressed like a boy.

"Wait!" I guess Blake just remembered about the picture. He barges into the room, but I jump across the bed, to the other side. "You didn't tell me you liked to play dress up!"

He momentarily stops, then says, "MacKayla!" He hops across the bed, reaching for me, but I avoid his arms and run out of the room.

"You make a pretty girl, I'll give you that much, Adair!" He has a smile on his red face.

"Belikov, give it back."

"But you're just so darn gorgeous!" I stick my tongue out at him, and step quickly back as he lunges towards me. The back of my knees hit the arm of the sofa and I fall backwards. Blake lands on top of me, but apparently he knew the sofa was right behind me, because he threw his arms out, on either side of me, to catch all of his weight.

"I'll take that back." He says, easily plucking the wallet out of my hands. He looks down at me at that moment, our eyes meeting, and we both seem to instantaneously sober. We just continue to stare at each other, our faces only a short distance apart. My eyes slowly wander to his lips and that's when I come to a little of my senses. What am I thinking? Yes, he does seem very kissable, that's for damn sure, but that's not the point. If I kiss him, it'll be like I'm forgetting about Him. Not because I haven't been with another guy since Him, because I have, but they were make-outs at parties. Or one-nighters. Never beyond that. I knew nothing about those other guys, not even their first names. I know almost everything about Blake, and I'll have to be in close proximity to him for at least four more days, if all goes well, but it'll be more personal if we do anything, and I don't think I can deal with that. Not after Him. It'll be liked throwing his sacrifice out the window. It'll make it pointless.

But then I move my eyes upwards, and once again, I lock onto his gaze. There's a question in his eyes, and I know that question. I've seen it only once before, because this is the only time since then I look the guy in the eyes. That question, at that time, was full of love, and assurance, but the question was still asked, just to be asked. But, though this question was still the same, it was filled with completely different emotions. Those eyes, that always seemed so sure, they seemed desperate for an answer from me, for a sign of any kind. They were filled with longing, lust, but they were filled with something else as well. They were filled with care. And that last feeling is what made up my mind for me. It's what made me reach my hands up, around his neck, and pull him, those eyes, and those lips, towards me. That was my answer and he didn't protest or ask if I was sure. He just accepted it, and kissed me right back. And the kiss was so right, so perfect, so wonderful. It was all so wonderful. After o long of denying myself any kind of touch that was filled with care, this was great. Wonderful, even. Magical.

I smile and stretch my whole body. I give a contented sigh and cuddle back into the warmth of the blanket, and sit up rapidly. I'm alone. That bastard! He just left? "Ugh, bastard." I quickly put on my clothes, in a hurry to get out of there, but then I realize it's my room, so I fall back on the bed. "Damn, I can't believe he left." I sit there for a few more minutes, but finally decide to go out into the common room. The moment I walk out, I see him. He's standing by the window, shirtless, talking on the phone and sounding completely agitated. His hair is all messed up and he still sounds a little groggy, as if he were forcefully pulled from his sleep. I just stand there and continue to stare at him, no longer mad with him. After a while, I walk back into my room to wash up, because I'm practically starving. He spots me as soon as I walk back out and the smile he throws me at me takes me completely off guard.

"Actually, yes, she's right here. Hold on a moment." He says into the phone. He puts his hand over the receiver and holds it out to me. "It's my sister. My cousin told her we were near by and she's insisting on us stopping and having lunch with her at the next town. I'm telling her we can't, so please back me up on this."

I look up at him skeptically, then take the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi! Is this MacKayla?" A peppy voice says from the other end of the phone.

"Yes."

"Great! This is Jenny, Blake's fabulous older sister. So, what do you say? I know he just finished practically begging you to say no, but I haven't seen my dear brother in quite a while. So please, please say you'll eat lunch with me."

I smile slyly at Blake and before he realized what my intentions are, I say, "We'd love to have lunch with you. We'll see you there. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." I hang up the phone and stick my tongue out at him. He looks wide-awake now. "She said to dress up nice."

"Why would you agree to it?"

"Because I woke up alone!" The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them and I quickly whirl around and slap my hand over my mouth. Crap.

I feel him come up behind me. "The phone rang and I didn't want to take the call in the room, because I didn't want to wake you. Plus, I ordered breakfast." He gently turns me around to face him and pries my hand from my mouth. "I'm sorry." He says sincerely.

I bit my lip and look at him. He's begging me to forgive him for making me wake up along and I sigh. "Okay, I mean, I guess it's okay."

He gives me a blinding smile and, as if it's a normal thing, he leans down and places a single kiss on my lips. His eyes widen and he turns slightly red, as if he just realized what he just did. I'll admit, it's kind of endearing. A knock on the doo saves him from stammering out an unwanted apology. "Look, it's the food!" A bellboy pushes in a cart covered with trays emitting awesomely delicious smells. The bellboy lifts one of the covers and there are pancakes!

"Ohh…" I take the plate, cut into the pancake, and take a bite. "Mmmmmm….." I turn to the boy. "Tell whoever made these that I love them and want to have their bastardous babies." I turn and walk to the table and hear Blake chuckle.

"Thank you." The boy leaves and Blake wheels over the cart. "Good?"

"Delicious." We sit in comftorable silence for a few minutes before the door opens and in walks Maks. He comes straight to the table, grabs a plate and digs into it. Blake and I share a look before Maks speaks.

"How was your night?" He doesn't specify who the question is for, so we both stay silent. He gives us both a looks. "Are we not talking to me?" Still, the silence remains after his words. "Adair, how was your night?"

Blake looks up with evident relief on his face. "Great."

"And yours, Mac?"

"Wonderful."

"That's good."

"So, how was yours?" I ask hesitantly.

He smiles and says, "Oh, just fine." He looks at his plate and I look at Blake. I make a "Gag me, please" face and he smiles.

"So…. We promised to meet Blake's sister for lunch at the next town over." I say hurriedly. Maks looks up and so does Blake, his eyes wide.

"But we don't have to. I mean, I know we came here for reason, and we're on quite a schedule, and we only have so much time before people at the Academy start asking. So, we don't have to, Jenny will understand."

"Oh, come one, Adair. We promised." I say back.

Blake opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, Maks sighs. "Fine, we'll go meet her. No more stops though or we'll be behind." He gets up and walks to his room.

"We already are, because of you." I say to his back. Instead of answering, he shuts his door. "Jerk."

"Hurry up!" Maks exclaims from the common room.

"I'm going!" I yell back from my room. I lock my suitcase and throw it out the door, where I hear a grunt. I'm assuming it hit one of the boys. I walk out of the room. "Let's go." I laugh at the sight before me. Both boys are on the floor, my suitcase covering both. "Oh, you babies!" I pull the case off and they stand.

"That's heavy, sis, that's heavy." Maks says, taking the luggage out to the car.

Blake and I look at each other. We had a talk earlier this morning when Maks walked into his room, but we didn't figure anything out. We're both still unsure about the night before. We're unresolved, but (I didn't admit this to him) I do like him. He's sweet and funny, in that really dry way and that guarded look he usually has on his face falls away when we're talking, but he still has it in his eyes. I'm trying to get rid of it, though.

I smile. "Let's go. We don't want to be yelled at by Maks again."

He nods and agrees with me. "It is quite scary when he yells." We walk down to the car and we take off. The car ride is short and comfortable, with Maks driving, Blake in the front seat, and me, stretched out in the back seat.

"We're here." Maks announces a couple hours later. I sit up and look at our surroundings. It seems like a pretty small town, but still busier than the last one. "Where are we supposed to be meeting her?"

"At the Cabin. It's down the road, you can't miss it." Blake answers. And he's right, we don't. It actually kind of looks like a cabin, which is pretty cool. "Right. Well, don't say I didn't warn you." He says, stepping out of the car, fairly calmly, and walking to the building. I kind of hope he's just being dramatic, but I highly doubt it. He doesn't seem like the dramatic type of person. I'm just saying.

It seems like a pretty nice place, homey. I look around the area, and see Blake walking to a table, Maks trailing behind him. They walk to a table where a pretty girl is sitting. She looks like the one that was in Blake's picture. His sister. She's even prettier in real life, though. I still have a sense familiarity.

"Hi. So nice to meet you." She shakes our hands as Blake introduces us. After the introductions and the order, we sit in a slightly awkward silence before Jenny breaks it. "So, I hear you lot are in a quest of sorts, am I right?"

Maks nods. "Yes, you are."

"My cousin might be your half sister?"

"Yes."

"Well, while that topic is rather moot, this next one isn't: your parents are amazing guardians."

"So we've been told." As they continue to speak, I look around the restaurant.

After a while, Jenny makes a slightly offensive comment to me (I get the feeling she doesn't like me very much, for some reason I do not know), but before I can answer, a movement catches my eye. I turn my head, and my head and my breath seems to halt in its tracks. It stays put in my throat, and my lungs begin to burn before I remember to breathe again. A girl walks to our table, pretty. Fairly tall, black hair, gray eyes. Pretty. A girl that I am close to. Was. A girl that I was close to.

She sits beside Jenny and she introduces her to us. "Oh! This is Riley. Riley, this is Maksim Belikov, son of Dimitri Belikov and Rose Hathaway Belikov. And this is his sister, MacKayla." Riley shakes Maks' hand but stops when our eyes meet. She knows me. She's Riley. Sara's older sister.

"Mac." She says softly. I just stare at her. It's been almost two years since we last saw each other and we didn't part on great terms. It was at their funeral.

It had been dark outside, raining. The ground was sucking at everyone's feet as they walked to their cars at the end of the service, at mine were not immune to the ground. The service just ended, and I was waiting for my car to drive up when I decided to raise my eyes from the home they had made on the ground. And the first thing I see is her face. She had been about to step into a car that a boy and girl had just gotten into when she turned my way. Our eyes met. And in the previously dead eyes, I saw a flame rise up and flicker, as if the anger that ignited them at first wasn't strong enough to keep them alive. She stalked to me. My eyes widen in fear, because while I might be a fairly kickass novice, she's a guardian and guardians aren't supposed to lose their cool. It's a well-known fact.

I open my mouth, about to stammer out an apology for her loss. I mean, she had just lost her one and only baby sister. It must've been oh-so-terribly tough for her. But before my words come out, she yells. "Oh, shut the hell up! I don't want your rotten apology, it means nothing to me. It will give me no solace, no matter how sorry you are. And besides, what are you doing here? This is for friends and family only. Murderers aren't allowed." My eyes widen further as her onslaught continues.

"You caused this! You were the one that killed her, and I will never forgive you for that! You took her away from me, and that wasn't enough, was it? You had to take Kyle with you too! You hurt, completely damaged, not just one family, but two! I hate you!" With those last words, she throws her arms out, sufficiently causing me to fall to the ground, dropping my umbrella on the muddy ground. I look up at her, rain running in my eyes, as I stare at her. Others heard her yelling and pulled her back, taking her to her car. They put her in, and the car takes off. I can still hear the ringing of her yells in my ears. I look back down, and place my mud-soaked hands in my lap. She's right. I caused the death of not only Sara, but of Kyle also. I caused them both to die. It was all my fault.

"Ms? Ms? Are you okay, Ms?" I look up to see inquiring eyes staring at me. The water has stopped beating down on my me and it takes me some time to realize that it's because this kind face is carrying an umbrella. I nod my head, because I can't seem to do anything else. "Here, Ms, let me help you up. Your car's here." The hand reaches down, grabs my arm, and pulls me up. The grip stays on my arm, guiding me to my car. The grip softens, slowly pushing me into the car. "I'm sorry, Ms." I look up at the eyes. I nod my head. The hand closes the door and the car takes off. I looked out the window, and saw the umbrella, still on the ground, sinking into the mud, and continuing to fill with the rain. I closed my eyes. And tried not to remember.

* * *

**So, what did yo all think? I'll try to post the next chapter soon, I just have to finish writing it!**

***Cocky grin* I'm 6'2", I'm blonde, I'm tan, I'm wearing white pants, and I realize: I'm a very pretty man.**

***Sob* I'm 6'2"... I'm blonde... I'm tan... I'm wearing white pants... *Sob* And I realize:... I'm a very pretty man *Sob***

**Go watch him! Tehe!**

**Thanks!**

**Simply,**

**Sam.**

**P.S.: LOVE YOU ALL!**


	5. IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE:**

**First of all, so sorry for making you think this is an actual chapter.**

**Second, due to school and inability to keep up with both my stories, I am momentarily postponing this story. I apologize greatly, and it will be back and running once I'm finished with my other story, "Round And Round", but no sooner. So, so sorry, to all of you. I hope you will forgive me!**

**Third, please don't come after me, attacking me with pitchforks and torches and the like. Please. I love you all, and appreciate every single one of you, and hopefully this story will be back up soon. **

**Fourth, if you want to continue to support me, read "Round And Round", please. It's about the Gallagher Girls series. Ever read it? No? Read it. The series is amazing.**

**Thanks again! Love you all!**

**Simply,**

**Sam.**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**I LOVE THE LOT OF YOU!**

**I really do, and don't you forget that when you read the next part:**

**I will have to be ending this story. Basically because I've lost my feelings for it. Like... I dont**

**particularly feel very strong about is, as I used to. I know I'm being all hypocritical about ending this(and not even right in the middle!)**

**and then judging others for ending their stories in the middle.**

**I really do hate doing this to you guys, please believe that.**

**BUT**

**I am going to offer you something I have yet to see any other author offer their readers:**

**I am willing to tell you how this story was going to go down.**

**I am also willing to post up the last few chapters,**

**after giving a brief description of what I had planned to write.**

**SO**

**I will do that if you guys REALLLLLYYYYYYY want me to.**

**Just leave a "yes please!"**

**or a "no thanks!"**

**in a comment.**

**I'll add up the results and stuff**

**and post if the majority is yes...**

**...**

**And PROBABLY still post if the answer is no :)**

**Once again, I love the lot of you.**

**And you know which song I'm LOVING right now?**

**"Marry Me" by Train.**

**SSSSOOOO Beautiful.**

**"Marry me, today and everyday**

**Marry me, if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe, say you will."**

**And the other song I'm digging?**

**"Somewhere With You" by Kenny Chesney.**

**My absolute FAVORITE part?**

**"Driving around, Saturday night,**

**You make fun of me, for singing my song,**

**got a hotel room, just to turn you on."**

**... Seriously? **

**Who WOULDN'T want their guy to get a hotel room, JUST to turn them on?**

**Seriously. **

**My friend and I were listening to it, and I giggle at that particular spot**

**and she looks at me. (By-the-by, she is convinced I am currently in LOVE with a guy. Beh.**

**Truth is, I just like him... despite his faults... haha)**

**And I say, "What? I LOVE that part. Hotel room!"**

**She says, "Really?...*silence*... You'd do that wouldn't you?"**

**I say, "...*silence*...*giggle* Mehbeh... :)**

**...**

**ANYWAYS!...**

**So, tell me what you lot want, and I'll give it to you!**

**...**

**NOT in that way.**

**Maybeh...**

**If you're Johnny Depp, then the answer is HELL YESSS!**

**:)**

**So...**

**Tell me :)**

**Love you!**

**Simply,**

**Sam.**


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